1. Field
Methods and apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to manufacturing graphene, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing graphene, graphene manufactured by the method, a conductive thin film including the graphene, a transparent electrode including the graphene, and a radiating or heating device including the graphene.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, graphite materials such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and graphite have attracted attention.
In particular, experiments have been performed on carbon nanotubes and graphene. Because graphene can be formed into large scale films and has electrical, mechanical, and chemical stability, in addition to high conductivity, graphene has drawn much attention as a basic element for electronic circuits.
In recent years, techniques for manufacturing large scale graphene have greatly improved. A method of manufacturing graphene using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is disclosed in the article “Large-Scale Pattern Growth of Graphene Films for Stretchable Transparent Electrodes” published in Nature Magazine, No. 07719, on Jan. 14, 2009, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
A related art method of manufacturing graphene using a CVD method is as follows. First, a silicon wafer having a silicon oxide (SiO2) is prepared. Next, a metal catalyst layer is formed by depositing a metal catalyst, such as Ni, Cu, Al, or Fe, on the silicon oxide layer using a sputtering apparatus or an e-beam evaporator.
Next, the silicon wafer on which the metal catalyst layer is formed and a gas containing carbon, such as CH4, C2H2, C2H4, or CO, are put into a reactor for performing inductive coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD). Then, the reactor is heated so that carbon can be absorbed into the metal catalyst layer. Next, the reactor is rapidly cooled to crystallize and separate the carbon from the metal catalyst layer, thus growing graphene.
The grown graphene undergoes a transfer process before use. For this purpose, an etching method is used.